Purpose: To apply and analyze content knowledge for SES6

SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.

a. Relate the nature and distribution of life on Earth, including humans, to the chemistry and availability of water.

b. Relate the distribution of biomes (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) to climate regions through time.

c. Explain how geological and ecological processes interact through time to cycle matter and energy, and how human activity alters the rates of
these processes (e.g., fossil fuel formation and combustion).

d. Describe how fossils provide a record of shared ancestry, evolution, and extinction that is best explained by the mechanism of natural
selection.

e. Identify the evolutionary innovations that most profoundly shaped Earth systems: photosynthetic prokaryotes and the atmosphere;
multicellular animals and marine environments; land plants and terrestrial environments.

Appropriate Organization: Students will provide the following

1- Research on their chosen topic. This will be proved by written summaries of peer-review articles with MLA citations. Their research
should include how their chosen doomsday event affects the following: chemistry and availability of water, climates and biomes,
geochemical cycles, and natural selection/evolution.
2- Students will create a doomsday brochure educating the public about their doomsday event. This should include data in the form of
statistics and graphs. Their data should cover at least one statistic from the following: chemistry and availability of water, climates and
biomes, geochemical cycles, and natural selection/evolution.
3- Students will create a doomsday journal narrating the events taking place. The journal should include the following: chemistry and
availability of water, climates and biomes, geochemical cycles, and natural selection/evolution.
4- Students will fill out a self-evaluation of their portfolio.
5- The teacher will grade the portfolio based on a checklist and/or rubric.

Evaluation of Portfolio and Entries/Evaluation of Rubrics: Students will be graded for each aspect of the portfolio. The research will be
graded with a checklist. The brochure will be graded with a rubric. The journal will be graded with a rubric. The self-evaluation will be graded
with a checklist. The entire portfolio will be graded based on the previous things mentioned.

Research Portion:
Doomsday Portfolio: Water Component

***Doomsday Portfolio is meant to follow the event for up to 1 year

SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.

a. Relate the nature and distribution of life on Earth, including humans, to the chemistry and availability of water.

Directions: Answer the following questions using books, articles, video, or websites (all resources must be
cited.google and Wikipedia will not be accepted)

1- Why is water such an important resource?

2- How does the availability of water affect life and the distribution of life?
3- Why is waters molecule shape so important?
4- What are the biggest threats to water availability?
5- Is there a way to make unusable water usable?
6- What is your doomsday event?
7- How does your doomsday event affect the water supply?
8- If there is a problem with the water supply, could it be fixed?
9- How does the water supply during your doomsday affect other living things? What is the chain reaction?
10- List at least 5 facts/relationships about water chemistry and availability following your doomsday event.
(Keep in mind this will need to stay consistent throughout your project.)
Doomsday Portfolio: Climate and Biome

***Doomsday Portfolio is meant to follow the event for up to 1 year

SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.

b. Relate the distribution of biomes (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) to climate regions through time.
Directions: Answer the following questions using books, articles, video, or websites (all resources must be
cited.google and Wikipedia will not be accepted)

1- How has climate changed over time?

2- What historical events changed the climate of the Earth? How did it change?
3- What are the biome types? Describe each
4- What is the biggest threat to the Earths climate and current biomes?
5- Is there a way to change or reverse climate change?
6- How does your doomsday event affect climate?
7- How does your doomsday event affect each biome type (please cover each biome type)
8- How does your doomsday event affect animal life in each biome?
9- How does your doomsday event affect plant life in each biome?
10- List at least 5 facts/relationships about climate and biomes following your doomsday event. (Keep in mind
this will need to stay consistent throughout your project.)

Doomsday Portfolio: Nutrient Cycles, Geological, and Ecological Processes

***Doomsday Portfolio is meant to follow the event for up to 1 year

SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.

Explain how geological and ecological processes interact through time to cycle matter and energy, and
how human activity alters the rates of these processes (e.g., fossil fuel formation and combustion).
Directions: Answer the following questions using books, articles, video, or websites (all resources must be
cited.google and Wikipedia will not be accepted)

1- What are the major geochemical cycles

2- How do humans impact the geochemical cycles?
3- What are renewable resources? What are non-renewable resources?
4- What are some alternative sources of energy? Do you believe we should implement these? Why or why
not?
5- What energy sources have been in the news over the past 3 months? Why what are they saying?
6- How does your doomsday event affect the carbon cycle?
7- How does your doomsday event affect the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle?
8- How does your doomsday event change the usage/formation of fossil fuels?
9- How does your doomsday event change in cycles affect plant and animal life?
10- List at least 5 facts/relationships about nutrient cycles following your doomsday event. (Keep in mind this
will need to stay consistent throughout your project.)
Doomsday Portfolio: Natural Selection and Evolution

***Doomsday Portfolio is meant to follow the event for up to 1 year

SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.

d. Describe how fossils provide a record of shared ancestry, evolution, and extinction that is best explained by the
mechanism of natural selection.

e. Identify the evolutionary innovations that most profoundly shaped Earth systems: photosynthetic prokaryotes and the
atmosphere; multicellular animals and marine environments; land plants and terrestrial environments.

Directions: Answer the following questions using books, articles, video, or websites (all resources must be
cited.google and Wikipedia will not be accepted)

1- How do fossils proved a record of ancestry, evolution, and extinction?

2- What is natural selection?
3- How did photosynthetic prokaryotes affect the atmosphere?
4- How did life evolve from the oceans to land?
5- How did plants evolve? How have plants adapted to changing environments?
6- Describe one reptile adaptation due to your doomsday event
7- Describe one fish adaptation due to your doomsday event
8- Describe one amphibian adaptation due to your doomsday event
9- Describe one bird adaptation due to your doomsday event
10- Describe one mammal adaptation due to your doomsday event
11- Describe one invertebrate adaptation due to your doomsday event
12- Describe one food chain that changes due to your doomsday event. Describe each organism in the food chain.
Doomsday Journal Component
You will be writing a narrative describing the events that took place following your doomsday event.
(This may be a first person account or description from the outside.) We will write one segment per day,
but the story must flow together in a logical sequence based on what we know about Earth Systems. The
schedule will be as follows:
Monday: First 2.5 Months
Tuesday: 2.5 Months-5 Months
Wednesday 5 Months-7.5 Months
Thursday: 7.5 Months-10 Months
Friday: 10 Months-1 Year
These will be checked daily. Each segment will be worth 20 points (100 points total). To get all the
possible points the following must be included in EACH segment:
Water: You must describe what is happening to water availability and resources during that time period.
Please use your research to describe. (0-4 points awarded based on completeness)
Climates and Biomes: You must describe what is happening to the climate and at least 1 biome. This
should include plants and animals. Please use your research to describe. (0-4 points awarded based on
completeness)
Systems and Cycles: You must describe what is happening in at least three nutrient cycles. You should
include evidence that these are changing or the processes that are happening. Please use your research to
describe. (0-4 points awarded based on completeness)
Evolution and Adaptations: You must describe at least 3 adaptation that have evolved for each segment.
This should include why the adaptation has evolved and why it works. Please use your research to
describe. (0-4 points awarded based on completeness)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Category First 2.5 2.5 Months-5 5 Months-7.5 7.5 Months-10 10 Months-1

Months Months Months Months Year
Water 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4
Climates and 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4
Biomes
Systems and 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4
Cycles
Evolution and 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4
Adaptations
Creativity 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4 0 2 4

Grade: __________/100
Summative Doomsday Poster and Flier

You will create a poster that describes your doomsday event and its affects. It should be a fully detailed account of your
doomsday event. See the rubric below for scoring. Make sure you check the rubric for everything you must include. You
will also make a flier or brochure (think public service announcement) that summarizes your poster and provides
information for survivors (if there are any). Youve already done the research. Its in your folder.

Poster Rubric

Category 0 Points 5 Points 10 Points

Summary of Doomsday Theres not a There is a summary, but it is There is a summary and the
Event summary of the not fully explained or doomsday event is fully
doomsday event missing major components explained
Water Theres no mention of Water is mentioned but it is Water chemistry and availability
what happens to the missing information about is fully explained.
water chemistry or availability
Climate and Biomes Theres no mention of Climates and biomes are Climate and biomes following
what happens to the mentioned but there are no the doomsday event are fully
climates and biomes examples, is not fully explained with examples for
explained, or there are each biome
biomes missing
Systems and Cycles Theres no mention of Geochemical cycles are All three required geochemical
what happens to mentioned but they are cycles are fully explained with
geochemical cycles missing components. Not all examples
three cycles (carbon,
phosphorus, and nitrogen)
are mentioned
Evolution and Natural There are no examples Evolution/Natural Selection There are at least 3 examples of
Selection or summaries of is mentioned, but there are natural selection are evolution
natural no or few examples or following the doomsday event.
selection/evolution summaries
Citations No Citations are listed 1-5 Citations are included 5-10 Appropriate Citations are
(or they include included
Wikipedia/Google/Other
search engine)
Illustrations 0 Illustrations are 1-3 Illustrations Included 3-6 Illustrations Included
included
Creativity/Completed Project is unfinished Project is finished but lacks Project is finished and well-
Work and/or poorly the amount of effort needed constructed
constructed for a summative project
Flier/Brochure Rubric

Category 0 Points 2.5 Points 5 Points

Summary of Doomsday Theres not a summary of
Event the doomsday event
Summary of the Research There is little to no mention
of any research related to
water, climate/biomes,
geochemical cycles, or
evolution/natural selection
Public Service There is no mention of
Announcement preparation, evacuation,
and/or survival techniques
Creativity/Completed Project is unfinished and/or
Work poorly constructed
There is a summary, but it
is not fully explained or
missing major components
1-2 of the major
components are missing or
not fully explained: water,
climate/biomes,
geochemical cycles, or
evolution/natural selection
There is evidence of
preparation, evacuation,
and/or survival techniques
but it is not fully explained
Project is finished but lacks
the amount of effort needed
for a summative project
There is a summary and the
doomsday event is fully
explained
All of the components are
summarized and explained:
water, climate/biomes,
geochemical cycles, and
evolution/natural selection
Preparation, evacuation,
and/or survival techniques
are fully summarized and
explained
Project is finished and
well-constructed